Chapter Two

Justin’s head felt like a horse had run over it. He felt weak and powerless. His back was slick with sweat and his hair fell limp into his face. He opened his eyes to see his surroundings. He sat in a small square shaped room, a steel metal chair sat in one corner, chains hanging limp at its sides, and a ratty blanket had been laid on the floor in the opposite corner. It was dark in the room but enough light filled the room from the one lightbulb dangling from the ceiling for him to see.

The door burst open as he pushed himself to his feet, “Ah, he is awake.” The man before him was clothed mostly in black. His black crisp pants covered his black shoes while a black tie hung limp from his neck, contrasting greatly with his ironed white shirt. The man smiled down at Justin. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the nice type of smile, it was a kind of evil smile that crawled under your skin and made you squirm. “Look Justin, this can be easy or hard. Please make it easy, I don’t want to clean up a mess.”

At that moment, two more men came into the room. Their muscles bulged under their black shirts and their faces seemed to be chisled from stone. With a quick, lumbering walk they grabbed Justin by the arms and forced him into the chair. As he tried to fight against them they chained his arms and feet to the chair. Justin pulled against the chains. “Justin, we want the information you have or we want you to join us. Our team is much better than theirs anyhow.”  The man smiled down at Justin’s struggling form smugly.

“I know what is right and wrong.” Justin snarled. “I will never give you anything, not information or my loyalty .”

“Okay then.” He turned to the two men at the door and nodded once.  They opened the door and in came several people dressed in scrubs. One pulled a tray full of equipment. Justin’s breath starting coming in quick. “Justin, this is how this is going to go. They are going to hurt you pretty bad but I will make sure you are awake just enough to feel everything. You are not human, you are a super human not consider part of the human race.”

Justin looked to him, “Well, who is not human now? I feel love and pain but you feel nothing.”  The man stared at him with cold, unfeeling eyes, his mouth set in a grim line. He looked back to one of the surgeons and nodded. As he scooted back from Justin an evil smile climbed onto his face with malice.

Justin woke yet again to find himself on the floor. The cool concrete under his head served to wake him even more. He pushed himself into a seating position. “I have to get her to talk to me again.”  

Justin leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “Come one.” He whispered.

“Justin!” Jenna’s voice called to him. “Justin, speak to me, please!”

“Jenna.” Justin’s voice came out weaker than he thought it would. He shook his head, trying to regain some sense of strength for her.

She started walking toward him. She was like a star lighting his way. She was beautiful and he found that, even now, he was attracted to her. Her bright red hair was in a light springy form, her pale face held a worried expression, and her eyes held his with much more concern then they had when he had first seen her.  She knelt beside him and placed her soft palm against his hot skin. “Justin, what have they done to you?”

“I passed out, I don’t even remember but it was painful.” He slowly lifted a hand to hers. “Jenna, I don’t know where I am. I am scared.” His voice shook, which angered him.

“Justin, I am on my way.” She spoke urgently. “I have to know where you are though. Please, where were you the last time you saw me?”

“Paris.” His voice was becoming weaker. “I was in Paris. “

“Justin, listen to me. You have to make it until I get there, you have to. Don’t let me lose you.” He saw the tears well up in her eyes.  “I don’t know why but I feel connected to you and I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

“You are not going to lose me, I promise.” He pulled her face to his and kissed her yet again. His hands cradled her small, fragile face while her fingers became intertwined in his hair. He could smell her hot, sweet breath when she gasped but then he felt her melt into the kiss. Her tears cooled his hot hands as they spilled from her eyes. He wished they could stay just like this, forever. He wished he could kiss her for real but he had a feeling that by the time she got to him he would be dead.

He felt himself give in as she pulled him in closer to her. He let his hands roam from her face to her neck and settle there. Her skin was so soft compared to his calloused fingertips. Justin pushed her gently away, “Jenna they are coming back. You have to hurry, I need you. My life depends on you.”  He watched as the only person in the world faded away.

Justin leaned his head against the wall, “Please, Jenna, find me. “ His eyelids finally closed as he a deep sleep took him over while the sounds of his enemies rang loud in his ears.

“Tell us who you contacted!” The man once again yelled in Justin’s ear. Justin had learned that they called him Eric. Eric was rather rude if you asked him and the fact that he yelled in his ear wasn’t going to get him the answer he wanted. Justin stared at the wall, keeping his thoughts trained on her. He focused on the way her voice sounded, the softness of her skin, her silky hair, and those beautiful eyes that could hold him captive for hours, days. He wouldn’t give her up no matter what. He wouldn’t let them hurt her. “Fine, you are in for a world of pain.” The “doctors” came at him again. Eric laughed as the doctors pushed a chemical and glass into his eyes.

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Justin’s world had gone dark. Dark from hopelessness and desolation but also with the simple fact of all manner of evil that had been done to him. He hadn’t been able to contact Jenna in what seemed like days, not that he couldn’t tell how long it had been anyway. The dark had come to be his best friend in a way. He couldn’t see what was to come so he wouldn’t have to be afraid.  He did, however, fear this darkness. It seemed to grow and envelope him with each passing day. It seemed to mold itself to fit his mind.  He found himself thinking more and more in terms of darkness. It scared him, it truly did.

Justin laid his hand gingerly underneath his head, breathing deeply. The scents that were filling his nose were of his own body odor, the moldy hay which he was laying on, and the chemicals in the corner they had been injected into his body. He closed his eyes and focused on his memory of Jenna.

Her red hair came in bright, curly spirals past her shoulders, her bright hazel eyes were rimmed with excitement, and her pale pink lips were turned up in a smile to expose her straight, white teeth. A golden light seemed to surround her, dazzling him with its brilliance.  He remembered the sound of her voice, the song in his darkness. His lips stretched into a smile at the thought of her. “Justin!”

He sat upright, “Jenna! Can you hear me?”   Darkness still surrounded him.

“Justin!” Jenna stepped into the darkness and, like a star, brought light to his dark world.  Her fragile, small body was surrounded by a golden glow that made her red curls shine. Her hazel eyes were filled with concern as they searched for him. “Where are you?”  She turned her head left and right.

“Right here.” He croaked out, just seeing her and hearing her voice brought a lump to form in his throat. He fought back the tears that swelled up in his eyes; he couldn’t let her see him crying, it might make her reckless. ’What a second, I can see.’ Justin thought to himself.

As she came closer, she brought the light with her. She knelt down to him, “Justin, oh Justin.” She brushed his oily curls away from his face. His skin was hot with fever and beaded with sweat, “It’s getting worse isn’t?”

“I can mange.” Justin struggled to sit up but after a few minutes succeeded. “Listen, they know when I am contacting you. They don’t know who I have been talking to but they are aware. They have put up more guards.”

“Justin, I have powers. They don’t stand a chance, not when I am angry.” Her eyes glowed with the hate she was feeling. He found it attracting, even if he couldn’t truly see it when she got there. Her soft hands came to rest on his cheek and slowly started stroking his face with her fingertips. He closed his eyes as he allowed himself to enjoy this moment. “Justin, please don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.”  She brought her lips to brush against his softly. “Just wait for me. I will be there soon, stay strong my Justin.” She stood and slowly started to walk away, leaving Justin in darkness again but this time with much more hope than before.  

Justin allowed the tears to flow and flow they did, all the way down his face, his breath came in heaves. His hand came to lay across his face as he steadied his breathing. “Jenna.” He whispered.

“I am not going to ask again.” The man stuck his face close to Justin’s. His breath reeked of onions and something else Justin couldn’t place. The B.O that hit his nose when the man entered the room quickly spoke of an unwashed man. “Who is she? Who is coming to ‘save’ you?“

“For the last time, I don’t know what you are talking about. No one knows I am here.”  Justin was turning into a rather good liar. He hung his head as the agony and despair of the situation washed over him. “Really, no one even knows exists. Even if they did they wouldn’t help me.”

“We are supposed to believe that?” the man asked while moving away from Justin. “We are just supposed to believe you?”

“It is painfully obvious that there is no way to make you believe me.” Justin brought his face toward the man’s voice. The voice was filled with hatred and malice. That voice sent chills down his spine every time it entered the room. Justin shook himself and yet again set his determination.  “I will do anything you ask.”

“Anything we ask?” The man’s voice came quicker to Justin’s ears signaling that he had moved closer.

“Yes.” Justin shook his face, “Anything as long it keeps you away from Jenna.”

“Your training will start in a week then.” The man laughed as Justin hung his head in guilt and let slow rolling tears fall down his face.

Jenna quickly stuffed three pairs of clothes into a satchel. She scanned her room for other things she might need. She dared not turn on the light, she knew Jacob and the others would try to stop her but she couldn’t be stopped or delayed.  Justin’s life depended on her speed. As she packed she kept seeing his face in her mind. She stuffed a pair of sandals and converses into her back and slipped her leather jacket on. She took one last look at the note she had written Jacob and the note she had written to the others. She hoped she would come back if it was as dangerous as she figured it would be she might not even make it out alive.

Jenna silently crept into Jacob’s room. The moon’s light filtered through the windows and bathed his face in its radiance. He looked like a greek god that had fallen from the skies to sleep in this small, comfy bed. His breathing was peaceful and deep, she watched as his chest moved up and down. She looked at him for a long while. She brushed a piece of dark black hair off his forehead and planted a soft, gentle kiss then landed one on his soft lips. She placed her palm on his cheek and watched as he snuggled his face into it. She smiled to herself and took her hand away. “I love you.” Jenna whispered as she placed the note on his nightstand. She took one last look before she shut his door.

Once outside, she saddled up Danali. “Follow me while I’m on the road. At night I will be in the woods, come to me.” The horse nickered his answer and watched as she pushed her crotchrocket out of the barn. “I’ll see you soon.”

The moon lit her way as her sleek black crotchrocket sped down the road. She had not run into anyone, which was a good sign. How she was going to get to Paris was a question that she did not have the answer to yet. She revved her engine and sped even faster down the road.  She felt like a rocket, a rocket hurtling to the sun, her sun. Justin had become an important part of her life whether she wanted him there or not. As she rode, she remembered the feel of his hands. They were rough but gentle all at the same time.   She remembered the way they had intertwined in her hair and the way they had gentle rubbed down her arms.